Summer Learning?

We’re now in the second week of summer holidays, and the kids have settled into a rhythm of park, play, TV and more play. With the Toronto heat, we’ve focused on staying cool – lots of wading pool and sprinkler time.

This week we’re in Calgary with the grandparents, and it’s gorgeous here. In past summers, I’ve brought workbooks and math sheets to Calgary. To be honest, those workbooks always remained unopened. This year, I’m trying some other methods to stimulate summer learning. We’re focusing on reading as many chapter books as we can and on doing a little bit of math each day.

I found this great math game for the Ipad called Math in Motion: Hungry Fish (see image). My kids love playing it and I can adjust the difficulty levels for each child. It challenges them in math, subtraction, and multiplication. Even if they play for 15 minutes a day, it’s a good brain workout.

A friend recommended a site called Bedtime Math, which emails a math problem out every day. The problems are interesting, and they test your reading and math skills. So far, this hasn’t been as successful as Hungry Fish.

What are you doing to keep those little brains active over the summer? I’m interested to hear other perspectives and ideas!

Amreen

thanks for the recommendation re Jump books – I’m going to check them out. I agree about the review aspect too. Reinforcement of last year’s work is valuable.

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scorkum

We have set a minimum amount of reading and math they need to do each day – they can do more if they want. The math books we use are Canadian (Jump Math) and I have them work on the ones for the grade they just finished. It isn’t a time for new learning but a review (so they don’t forget plus solidifies their knowledge).

Amreen

Sonya, I think you and I think alike! I think a little bit each day goes a long way. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on Kumon. I’ve been considering it for my kids too.

Sonya

My little one does Kumon everyday and they both read every day. My little one also has workbooks for those days when we’ve got not much planned. We don’t necessarily do stuff everyday but they are pulled out (at his own doing) when he feels like it. He’s finished one workbook already. I know not everyone agrees in this society of continuing some learning during the summer but my kids are not in camp the entire summer… so 15 minutes of workbooks and 10 minutes of Kumon isn’t a lot when you step back and view a day’s worth of hours to fill. I think, like you, just finding the right learning activities to suit your child is the best. My kids don’t moan and groan..they are use to it and it’s just part of the day. They don’t look at it as “school” or “cramping their summer”. They still get out and catch frogs, bugs and have fun with friends. And they still get their Wii time